Motor-car identifying appliance



INVENTOR; -iVooZ.

' ATTORNEYS.

'I'II'I'II.

S. K. WOOD MOTOR CAR IDENTIFYING APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 24. 1927 Aug. 2, 1927.

Patented Aug 2, 1927.

STRAUZD WOOD, "or, nu'rcninson, KANSAS.

Moron-clan IDENTIFYING APPLIANCE.

i Application filed January 24,1927. :Serial No. 163,060.

This invention relates to motor car identitying appliances or the type intended to make impossible the transfer of ownership of a car by an unauthorized personwithout showing evidence that such transfer was unauthorized. y

an appliance of such character indicated by U. S. Letters Patent No; 1,519,472, issued December 16, "192i, but is notentirely s atisfactory in thatthere is a possibilityof the license certificate, element being acc dentally destroyed, andj 'also because of the practicability o'lthe ready removal or transfer of the appliance Without injury thereto, from thecar for which it was issued to another car.

f llrccordingly, my objectis to produce an appliance not-open to [either of the objec tions mentioned, that is, one'which cannot be removed from position on a car by anyone, authorii'ied or not, without destroying a part diflicultand expensive to replace, by an unauthorized person, and'in which accidental injury to the certificateelementisprevented by a permanentlocking together oi the housing and the transparentplate protecting but not hiding the certificate, when such parts are once in assembled relation.

With, the gel'ieral objects in View ,mentioned, and others of a tributory character, the invention consists in certain n'oyell'features or construction and organization of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed;

andin order that it may be fully understood, lell'BlQllCtLlS to be had drawing, in which:

ldigure 1 "sea front view of a motor car identitying appliance embodyingthe invention.

Figure is an enlarged vertical, section taken on the line II-II of Figure 1, and also to the accompanying showing insection the car dash or equivalent supporting plate for the appliance."

Figure 3 tion on the hue Ill 1.11 of Figure l, the

figure beingon substantially the same scale as l igure 2. p

Figure an enlarged liragmentary section on the line Pv -1V ot Figure 1.

tion on the line VV of Figure 1. I

, l teiterring to the drawing in detail, 1 indicates a rectangular plate provided nearits upper central portion with a depressed panel 2 and near its lower corners withdepressed perforated portions 2 of substantially the appliance is placed in operative position against the dash D of a car it will have a stable three-point bearing against such dash.

The upper end of the plate is bent forwardly and downwardlyto provide a keeper 3, and

is equipped with certain spring elements hereinafter mentioned. The plate constitutes the back membe'rof a housing. i

The front member 4 of the housing corresponds in contourand proportion to the back member, and for the greater portion of its area is depressed forwardly to provide a forwardly projecting panel 5, the face of said panel'being provided with a large open-, ing or window 6. Said front member is bent rearwardly and inwardly at its side margins to provide upright keepers 7, and at its lower margiiris correspondingly bent to provide an upwardly lacing keeper 8, the arrangement beingsuc'h that the upper ends o'l'the keepers 7 can be fitted on the side margins of the rear member and member 4 is then slid upward upon the rear member until the upper edge of the front member and'the lower edge oi the rear member simultaneously enter the keepers 3 and 8 respectively,

this arrangement locking the plates'together around the margins thereof so that'they cannot be spread apart at anyipoint.

A metal or equivalent plate 9 conforms in contour and size to the back member and is adapted to be slipped into the keepers of the front member prior to the engagement of the latter with the roar or back member, so as to constitute aback tor the paneled portion 5 of the lirontmember. Said plate or back 9 is provided nearits upper edge and midway between itssideedges with an opening 10, and at opposite sides of and in a lower plane than opening" lOwith openings 11, the function or these openings being hereinafter set l'orth. is an irregular horizontal see- A plate 12 ol'-resilientmaterial is welded oi' otl.ierwise secured to and within the de pressed panel of the back member, and is formed with an upwardly and inwardly extending spring tongue 13 which is adapted I for locking the two members together by pre l igure 5 is an enlarged t'ragn'ientary secventing the front member :lroni' being slid downwardly on! the back member, the said ,spring'locking tongue 13 being adapted to be forced back by the plate 9 when'the two "members are, slid together as hereinbelore I explained, and then react or snap forwardly through theopening 10 as the same comes same depth as the panel 2, sothatwhen the opposite the free end of the tongue. The

plate 12 is also provided with apair of spring spurs or hooks 1a spaced apart to cor respond with the openings 11 of plate 9, so that when the front and back members are slid together and as they are respectively engaged by the keepers 3 and 8, said spring spurs or hooks, repressed atfirst by the plate 9, shall react and snap forwardlyv through the respective openings 11 of said plate.

A corresponding or equivalent plate 15 of frangible transparent material, is of size and form to substantially fill the chamber, provided by the panel 5 of the front member, a snug fit being'desirable to avoid the production of a rattling noise when the ear. isin motion, and also to guard against slippage of a license certificate, hereinafter referred to. The frangible plate is provided with a recess 16 in its rear face, the recess registering with the opening 10 of plate 9, and providing an abrupt downwardly-facing shoulder which will so engage the locking tongue 13 when the parts are finally assembled in operative relation, that it will be impossible toreverse the relative sliding movement of the members which occurs in the assembling operation, The frangible plate is also provided with a pair of recesses 17 registering with openings 11 of plate 9, and are adapted to receive the points of the spring hooks or spurs 1 at the same instant that recess 16 receives the locking tongue 13, and for a purpose hereinafter explained the said plate is also provided with upwardlyextend lng grooves 18 opening at their lower ends into the recesses 17.

The said plate is furthermore provided with a recess 19 opposite the recess 16 and accessible through the window 6, this paneling of the plate so weakening it that under the impact of a small hammer or chisel or the like the frangible plate can be broken so that a tool can be applied through the break upon the locking tongue 10 to repress the same suficiently to permit of such relative slidabie movementof the front and back members as to efiect their separation, itbeing notedv that the points of the spring hooks or'spurs hear such angular relation to the openings 11 of plate 9, that they'will lock the plate 9 to the back member when the front member with the plate 15 is sliddownward, this relicense certificate is requested is indicated at 20, the certificate bearing the indicia required thereon by the State, such as tne name of the State, the number of the certificate and other data. The certificate is fitted against the back of the frangible plate and folded as at 21 over the upper and lower edges thereof before the plate is fitted in the cha1nber of thepanel 5, the snugfit of the plate in the chamber, and the fitting of the backing plate 9 against the back of the certificate guarding againstslippage of the certificate, which latter also serves asa cushion or packing against rattling action of said plate 15 or plate 9. The certificate is preferably proided with openings 22 registering with the openings 11 of the backing plate 9, and with an opening 2 3 registering with the opening 10, sothat the locking tongue 13 and the hooks or spurs l t may readily snap into the recesses 16 and 17 respectively, though it is obvious that if the certificate is of ordinary paper, the tongue and spurs may be left to form or punch openings in the certificate as the two members are fitted together, as explained.

As hereinbefore explained, when the parts are once slid together the locking tongue will prevent reverse slidable action of the members and necessitate the fracture of the frangible plate to permit the locking tongue to be repressed or unlocked. There is no other method of disconnecting the front and back members short of so. injuring one or both of them as to make it or them incapable of further use, and the necessity of the destruction of plate 15 isdesirable so as to make it impracticable or impossible for any one to use the frangible plate a second time or the same certificate asecond time, as when the frangible plate is broken and the locking tongue is repressed, the sliding downward of the front member results in the tearing by the hooks Or spurs, of strips out of the certificate, this tearing of the strips being made certain and positive by the provision of the grooves or channels 18. in this connection it will be noted that the backing plate primarily guards against injury to the certificate by the locking tongue and hooks or spurs when the assembly is taking place, as it acts to take the thrust of the said spring elements during the assembly operation, from the certificate, and by the retention of the backing plate on the back member when the front member is slid downward, the spurs can be relied upon to tear strips from the certificate where the latter bridges the channels or grooves 18.

Before the front member equipped as de scribed with the backing plate, and the certificate and frangible plate which of course is transparent so that the certificate may be read through it, is slid into operative relation with the back member, screw bolts 23 are fitted through the perforated portions 2 until the heads of the bolts are completely countersunk in tire chambers of said portions, the said bolts being fitted through the dash and screwed'into a relatively heavy bar 2% fitted against the back of the dash, which bar cannot be readily removed, not only becauseit' is in'a rather inaccessible placebut also because it is engaged by a plurality of screw bolts and hence cannotbe unscrewed, and when the front member and its equip-. iuent is slid upon and locked to the back member the kerit'ed heads of the said bolts are completely hidden and inaccessible;

From the foregoing it will be apparent that neither the trout member of the'houss ing, thet'rangible plate nor the certificate can. be removed from position withoutthe n LI i conn ,cted

destructionhot the plate and themutilation of the certificate, it being desirable that the plate be destroyed because itis an element "that would he very diliicult ot'duplication byan unauthorized person, as suchpcrson by attempting to obtain a duplicate plate from the proper sourcevot supply, would be under the necessity of explaining-or showing that, he had made a legitimate purchase of the car. It would be possible at relatively small expense to duplicate h the certificate ITlHt-l lated or destroyed by removal with the plate ot the front member of thehousing, and

for this reason the desirability of fracturing plate 1.5 isimportant. i

To properlyidentify or associate the trout member, the plate 15 thereof and the certilicate, the two former elements should bear,

the name of theState and'the license number, the plate also 1nd1cating the year 0t issuance sov as to be, practically irradlcable,

and the certificatealong its lower margin,

where visible through the lower partof the plate should preferably be colored as indirated by lining (Figure l), to provide a background for the license number on the plate, as this coloring with the number in bold characters upon the plate presenting such a contrast as tobe readily noted by.

an. observer. c I

From the above description, it will be apparent that I have producedacar identifying appliance which embodies the features of advantage set forth as desirable in the statement of the object of the invention withinithe housing and fitting againstthe back otsaid transparent plate, and means withinthe housing pro ect ng through the certificate tor tearing the same in the event a f suitable support, the

the front member and said transparent plate are slid out of engagement with the back mem ber. p

2. A car identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting'ot a back member and a front member having a window, slidably connected together, a suitable support against which the back membertits, means for fastening the back member to'the support, a transparent plate within the housing and covering the said fastening means and rendering the same inaccessible, a certificate within the housing and fitting against the rack oi said transparentplate, means within theliousing projecting through said oer,

titicate, and means within the housing proiecting into said transparent plate for locking the same and the trout member of the housing from being slid out of engagement with the back member. '7

3. A car identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting ot a back member and a front member having a window, slidably connected together, a suitable support against which the back member tits, means for as toning thebach member to the supper a i i 'trz'msl'mrent plate within theshousing and covering the 'Stlltl iittSllQlilllg means and reindering thesame inaccessible, a certificate htting ilat against the back oil and interlockedwith the transparent plate, abacking plate within the hour-.11 g and litting against the baclrot the c rtihc'ate and provided with anopening, and a spring spur secured withinithe back member and adapted to be repressed by sairlbaclring plate when the front member, certificate and backing plate are slid into engagement withthe back member and'to snap forward through lheopenin ot' thebaching plate and through the certihcate when the front, member and the back member arefn'op'erly assembled,together.v

, i t. A car identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting oi? a back member and a frontmember having a window, slidabiy connected together, a suitable support against which the back member fits, means :lor'l astening the back member to the support, a transparent plate within the housing and covering the fastening means and rendering the same inaccessible and provid-ed with a back recess, a certificate fitting fiat against the back of and interlocked with the transparent plate, a backing platewithin the housing and fitting against the back of certificate and provided with an opening registering with the said recess, and a spring locking tongue carried by the back member and adapted, when the trout menu her and saidplate andcertiticate are in assembled 'iositionwith respect to the back 11']8]lll)G1,'tO snap through the saidregister mg opening ol the backing plate and the certificate and engage the transpzu'eiit plate recess to prevent slidable disengagement thereof and of the front back member. 7 r r a 5. A car identifying appliance comprising ahonsing consisting of a back member and a front member having a window,slidably connected together, a suitable support against which the back member fits, means forfastening the back member to the sup port,a transparent plate within the housing member from the and covering the fastening means and rendering the same inaccessible and provided with a back recess, a certificate fitting flat against the back of and interlocked with the transparent plate, a backing plate within the housing and fitting against theback of the certificate and provided with a pair of openings, one registering with the said recess, a spring, spur secured within-the back member and adapted to'be repressedby said backing plate when the front member, certificate and backing plate are slid. into engagement with the back member and to snap forward through the other opening of the backing plate and through the certificate when the a front member having a window, slidably connected together, a transparent plate fitting within the housing and covering said window and provided with a recess in its rear side, a certificate within the housing and fittingagainst the back of and interlocked with said transparent plate, a backing plate fit the back of the certificate and provided with an opening opposite the recess of said plate, and a spring spur secured to the back member and projecting for' ardly through the opening of the backing'plate and the certificate into said recess of the transparent plate and locking the backing plate against sliding movement and mutilating the certificate when the front member and certificate are slid from engagement with the back member. 7. A car identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting of a back member and a front member having a window, slidably connected together, the front member being panelled, a transparent plate fitting in the panel of the front member and covering the window thereof, a certificate fitting against the back of the transparentplate'and between the upper and loweredges thereof and lock the same and the front member tingin the housing and against the upper andlower portions of the panelled portion of the front member, said transparent plate having arecess in its rear side,

backing plate holding the certificate flat against the back of the transparent plate and slidably connected to the front member,

and a spring spurv carried by the back memher and projecting through the backing plate. and certificate and into the recess'of the transparent plate and adapted when the latter with the front member and certificate, is slid downward from disengagement with the back member, to prevent corresponding sliding movement of said backing plate.

8. A carv identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting of a back member and front member having a window, slidably connected together, the front member being panelled, a transparent plate fitting in the panel of the front member and covering the window thereof, a certificate fitting against the back of the transparent plate and between the upper and lower edges thereof and the upper and lower portions of the panelled portion of the front member, said transparentplate having a recess in its rear side, a backing plate holding the certificate flat against the back of the transparent plate and slidably connected to the front member, a spring spur carried by the back member and projecting through the backing plate and certificate and into the recess of the transparent plate and adapted when the latter with the front member and certificate, is slid downward from disengagement with the back member, to prevent corresponding sliding movement of said backing plate, and means within the housing back of and engaging the transparent plate to gainst ill 8 ill slidable disengagement from the bar. ber.

9. A car identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting ofa back member and a front member having a window, s

connected together, the frontmember being panelled, a tansparent plate fittin in t panel of the front member and covering the window thereof, a certificate fitting against the transparent member and interlocked therewith; said tra parent plate having in its rear side a recess and a channel extending upwardly therefrom, a back ing plate fitting againstithe back of the certificate d provided with an op i ng opposite the recess in the back of the transparent plate, and a sprin spur carried by the back member and projecting through the opening of the backing plate and the certificate and into. the recess of the transparent plate.

10. A car identifying appliance comprising a housing consisting of a back member and front member having av window, slidably connected together, the front member beingpanneled, a transparent plate fitting in the panel of the front member and covering the Window thereof, acertificate fitting flat against the transparent member and interlocked therewith; said transparent plate having 111 its rear side a recess and a channel extending upwardly therefrom, a back ing plate fitting against the back of the certificate and provided with an opening opposite the recess in the backof the transparent plate, a spring spur carried by the back member and projecting through the opening of the backing plate and the certificate and into the recess otthe trans 'nirent plate, and

means to lock the backing plate against disting against the rear side of the transparent plate and interlocked therewith, and a spring locking arm carried by the back member and pro ecting through the certificate and engaging the shoulder of the transparent plate to lock the same and the front member against slidable- Withdrawal from the back member. t I

mg a housing consisting of a back member and a front member having a panel and a Window therethrough, a transparentplate fitting in the panel and covering said Window, and provided with a downwardly-tam ing shoulder at its rear side, a certificate fitting against the rear side of the transparent plate and interlocked therewith, a spring locking arm carried by the back member and pro ecting through the certificate and en- 12. A car identifying appliance comprisgaging the shoulder of the transparent plate to lock' the same and the front member against slidable Withdrawal from the back member, and aspring spur carried by the back member and projecting through the certificate into the transparent plate and adapted'to tear the certificate in the event the front member and transparent plate and f certificate are shdably disengaged from the back member.

In Witness whereof. I hereunto aflix m s1 gnature. t I

srnaun K. WOOD. 

